“Tonight is the most important performance show of the competition” Cat informs us, and thus begins our top six performance night. I can’t believe next week is the finale! I’ll miss this, y’all!
Every week, there seems to be at least one outfit similar to either a bridesmaids dress or formal dress I’ve worn in my lifetime. I don’t know if I should be delighted or dismayed by these trips down my closet’s memory lane. Tonight Melissa sports a blue sequins top very similar to my senior prom dress that was also worn to at least six other fraternity or sorority formals—probably by some of you, dear readers!-- throughout my college career. We’re so green!
Lil’ C is back as our guest judge. Oh lord. Where the heck is Adam??? Why can’t we have Debbie Allen on repeat?!? It’s been a tough week; do I have the energy to translate his craziness? I shall try. When asked to “pontificate on the preference of the population” (Cat, don’t encourage it!) he responds with “I think the decisions have been appropriated(sic, I believe) by what the public prefers”. Sigh…I guess that’s close enough to correct English. Mary and Cat agree that Janette’s departure last week was a shock. Mary begs the audience not just to evaluate the dancers that week, but also to consider all of their performances, and vote accordingly. I think what she’s trying to say is “Look, Melissa should have been voted out last week, and just because she had the super sad cancer dance doesn’t mean you should have voted for her.” Nigel once again encourages the dancers to become “stars”, as nobody has yet to “pop” this season as they have in years past. I guess I would agree with that. BTW, Kerrington from last season is going to be in the remake of Fame coming out in the fall. Cannot wait!
The guy’s group dance is first, and they will be performing what looks like an amazing Sonya routine, if rehearsal is any indication. Sonya has quickly become one of my favorite choreographers. They nail it, and it’s fantastic, but I feel like Brandon and Ade are on such a different level from Evan in terms of being huge, powerful dancers. It’s sad that the best thought I have about Evan is “well, he held his own”. Lil C’ tells Ade that he’s still “proving it: for him, compliments Brandon for growing with each challenge, and tells Evan “good job not getting swallowed by the dominant excellence of Ade and Brandon, because of the style you represent.” Wow, that is such a backhanded compliment, but I have to agree with him. Mary declares that she “just loved it” and comments on the fact that the three of them can kick so high and do standing back flips at the same time is amazing. Nigel said that Evan actually stood out to him because he did so much that he’s never attempted before. Sonya seems delighted with the great feedback the dancers receive. Sonya and Mia are so similar in being thoroughly themselves as artists, but what I like about Sonya is she seems really supportive of her dancers, and makes it all about them, and with Mia, it’s all about her.
Jeanine and Ade are doing a Louis Samba. Oooh…didn’t he do the one with Max and Kayla the first week? That was one of my favorite dances of the season, and I still covet Kayla’s hot pink costume. Apparently this won’t be a “typical” samba…rehearsal shows lots of crotch in face, so oh my goodness. Also, how can anyone dance in three inch stilettos? I can barely walk down the hall without tumbling down when I sport that look. They perform, and it starts really sexy, but then just gets…messy. There’s one part where Ade is behind her, and it looks like he’s trying to wrestle her to the ground in slow motion. That can’t be right. . Mary judges first and says it looked “really novice”. I thought so too, and I know jack about samba-ing. Lil’ C said he expected an “explosion of excellence” and it fell short for him. Nigel said Jeanine did a wonderful job, but Ade needs to adjust his style to suit the dance.
Kayla performs a solo “You found me” by The Fray. I swear she’s like the twentieth contestant to use that song for her solo. Lots of legs and reaching and searching.
Melissa TELLS us she’s excited about being paired with Evan, but her face says “crap, I really don’t want to be stuck with Evan.” They have a Tyce Broadway piece, and Tyce comments that Evan is a dream for this style of dance. They’re performing to “Get me to the church on time”, in what I’m guessing is supposed to be wedding day underwear? Is Melissa supposed to be a stripper bride? I have to say, I’m a little disappointed. I thought Evan would be bigger, somehow. It’s cute, and it’s good, but it’s not incredible. Lil’ C chimes in and basically says the same thing—it was an “A” performance, but not an “A+”. Mary shrieks that this could be “get me to the finale on time!!!” How excited do you think she was to use that line, and how long do you think it took her to think of it? I swear, Evan and Melissa could have dropped to the ground and done the worm instead of performing the choreography, and she STILL would have hollered that line. Nigel tells us a lot of ballet dancers have tried out for season six, but none seem as adaptable as Melissa. He thinks the challenge of this dance was in the personality, and that they both did well.
Ade dances to “18th Floor Balcony”, which seems like a mandatory rite of passage for any contemporary dancer these days. He doesn’t include gymnastics, though. I don’t know if that’s wise…if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
Kayla and Brandon are up next. Brandon says he hopes to get on the hot tamale train with Kayla. Isn’t he on the hot tamale train? They are dancing a Stacy Tookey piece about a mistress too weak to leave her lover. It’s an incredible piece that they both dance beautifully…I think this might be one of my favorite dances this season, and no, not just because Brandon is shirtless. Lil’ C says it was beyond intense, and beyond amazing. Mary notes that Brandon is so on the hot tamale train, and he’s still on it, and he’s riding first class. She tells Kayla she was perfection. Nigel praises Stacy, and notes that he wishes they had more time to cement their chemistry, but that their technique was brilliant.
Melissa shimmies around the stage. I wish she would let her pointe work be the star. So far it’s more like a contemporary dance that just happens to be en pointe.
Jeanine and Ade tell us what it would mean to them to make the top four. Shocker it would mean everything to them, etc. Can you believe that Ade is still sporting that pick in his hair during every interview? They have a NappyTabs routine about…being evicted from their apartment? Perhaps my favorite moment of the night is the clip of Tabitha, rocking a preppy argyle vest, saying “Daay-um! I just got kicked out! Of my apartment! ReCESSion!!!” (slams boxes in mock anger). For the next week, when I find things irritating, I fully intend to incorporate this language into my rants. “DAAAAY-UM! MY iPod battery is dead! ReCESSion!” Lots of footage of Jeanine falling frequently and hard during rehearsal. She goes on about how she doesn’t want to fall down on TV and COME ON nobody ever does, okay? You’ll get it. They perform. They walk around in a menacing fashion, only to come home to an eviction notice, which prompts them to play hop scotch and skid around the floor in the boxes? Honestly, that’s probably not the reaction a landlord is hoping for. Anywho, it’s very entertaining. Lil’ C says that they performed it even better than he thought they could, and punctuates his critique with “it was buck, it was buck, it was buck…” Somehow during Mary’s comments we learn that Nigel’s wife’s divorce attorney is really mean, and that Lil’ C has been evicted before. Beyond that, she loved the dance, and feels like neither one will be evicted tonight after that performance. Nigel agrees that it was a great dance, applauds Ade for taking a note and “getting down”, and praises Jeanine for stretching herself as a dancer.
Brandon gets all half nekkid and dances to “O Fortuna”. Honestly, I think this is the same solo he did to get on the show. That’s fine, because it was incredible, and even more so now. He is just the most amazing dancer…lord, I hope he goes to Alvin Ailey, where he belongs! Cat deadpans “very average; nothing special” as the judges give him a standing ovation, and the audience leaps to their feet screaming. Breaking with the tradition of not giving feedback after the solos, Nigel says that he’s just given us one of the best solos that we’ve ever seen on the show, which—yes yes y’all. And no, not just because he’s barely wearing any clothes!
Melissa and Evan are back with the kiss of death quickstep. Melissa notes that she doesn’t trust Evan as a partner, and she “certainly hopes that in three days, he’s strong enough not to drop me”. Yikes, and whatever, Melissa. People drop each other all the time on this show during rehearsal! Jeanine was just tumbling right out of Ade’s arms a few dances ago. I just noticed that Evan has no shoulders. He really doesn’t! It’s very odd. Look next time! I think they dance it well…it’s cute. Lil’ C notes that Evan danced bigger than he ever danced, but that his retractions were lazy. He notes that Melissa looks fabulous, and did a fabulous job. Mary praises Louis’ amazing routines tonight, but says she was disappointed with the dancing. Nigel mocks Melissa’s earlier lament about being the oldest dancer on the show; telling Melissa that she is to this show was Cloris Leachman was to “Dancing with the Stars.” For a second she looks truly horrified, until she realizes he’s kidding. He says that it wasn’t one of the best of the night, and says they have voters questioning who they will vote for tonight. Ouch. Truthfully, though, I think it’s time for both of them to go.
Jeanine does a saucy solo, which shows off great control during pirouettes, and lots of strength, while also entertaining.
Evan’s solo…lots of shrugging of non-existent shoulders; beautiful series of turns that end in a huge leap.
Kayla and Brandon are back with a Doriana Sanchez disco. Oooh, I loved the one Brandon did with Janette; I hope this one is as good! Rehearsal shows Brandon busting out some butt smacking move that I think I’m going to love. The cameras are extra zoomy during the performance, which annoys the bejeesus out of me, because this routine is fantastic, and I want to be able to see it! The lifts are just amazing, including one where Kayla is upside down, in the splits, over Brandon’s head. I must practice this move with my hubby. Lil’ C says “being out of your comfort zone represents unfameeererity, and it also represents darkness.” WTF? If there is one thing this piece was not, it was dark. He keeps going on about befriending parts of the challenge and seeing the music with your ears…I don’t know… I guess he liked it? And he’s STILL going on, yakking about how there is a pocket of music, and you have to get in between those instruments, and what the hell is he talking about. Somebody please bring cut him off! Mary hollers that they hit a home run. She tells us she agrees with something Lil’ C said…how that is even possible, I don’t know. Then she stands up and yells at Brandon, who earlier confessed to self esteem problems, saying that he’s great, and she carries on to the point that both Nigel and Lil’ C have to restrain her. Mary proclaims “I’M NOT CRAZY!!!” to which Cat calmly replies “You do have a little crazy in you, Mary, but we love it”. Nigel says “it’s easy to get everyone riled up with screaming and energetic routines, so let me be professional”, and proceeds to leap out of his chair, carrying on like a lunatic. I don’t know…I kind of think the judges want Brandon and Kayla in the finale, no? Cat begs Nigel to “take the tablets!!!’ Hee.
Our last routine of the night is the girl’s group routine, also choreographed by Sonya. She’s chosen a superhero theme, which I think really suits her style of dance. I like the rehearsal footage, which funs it up with retro Batman type graphics. This might be one of my favorite routines of the season, and also, def. my inspiration for a Halloween costume this year. I must have the monogrammed supergirl belt! Lil’ C says it was amazing, but he wants more than amazing. Mary tells him that’s crap, and that they were great. Nigel makes a thinly veiled reference to Jeanette’s voluptuous chest. Lord, Nigel.
I think Evan and Melissa have to be the ones going home tonight. It’s their turn, for sure.
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